Having gone to the local Cost Plus (mistakenly called Trader Joe’s by a co-worker) I got a fine selection of interesting looking beers. The first was by the St. Arnold’s brewing company, from Houston actually. I chose for it’s locality, it’s name, which always makes me think of Hoos, and it’s little man, who reminds me of Dr. L. The name “Brown Ale” is also reassuringly simple to a beer chooser. It had a really interesting first impression, almost nutty, but then it settled into a steady teeth knocking mahogany power. I like mahogany a lot, but it needs something appropriately strong to complement it. However, if you are really into smooth beer without any unpleasantness, this is your pick.

Smoking is slowly being done away with in our society, and as far as cigarette smoking goes, I can’t say I’ll miss it. I am more ambivalent when it comes to cigars and pipes, though I’m not entirely sure why that is or why it seems more okay (Hooser, a short post on this subject?).

Somehow, “the food industry” doesn’t sound quite as evil as “the tobacco industry.” Something about food—the fact that it keeps us alive, perhaps—makes its purveyors hard to hate.
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A fact sheet from [Senator Tom] Harkin implies that schools should treat milk, French fries, and pizza like soda, jelly beans, and gum. Come on. How many people died in the Irish jelly bean famine? How many babies have nursed on 7-Up? How many food groups does gum share with pizza? If you can’t tell the difference, don’t tell us what to eat.